ABOUT US - HOW WE GREW
Learn about our journey and every seed we planted along the way.
Growing Since 2015... And before
Though our roots in farming started many years before, Sage Valley Farms officially began the spring of 2015. Prior to Sage Valley, Zack began farming when he was young. Growing up between Shoshoni and Riverton, our farm started out like many others around the area. Alfalfa, corn, beans, sheep, and cattle were the main crops and critters raised on what is now Sage Valley Farms. Sweet corn was always something grown in the garden, but we saw an opportunity to offer such a delicious treat to the community in Zack's younger years. Starting with less than an acre, we grew a traditional garden favorite, Peaches & Cream, and sold the corn by the dozen at the local Big Horn Co-op store. It wasn't until several years later that the business became much larger.
2008 - And So the Gardens Grew
Though sweet corn was our main crop, Zack decided it was time to expand. A friend of the family told Zack he should sell some of his excess produce at the farmers market. The wheels began turning. That year, Zack offered a variety of garden fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions, squash, greens, potatoes, and of course the family's famous sweet corn from the trunk of his red muscle car (a 2006 Dodge Charger). It was a good little business for a sophomore in high school, but Zack dreamed of more. The gardens expanded yearly with new things and enough produce to stock not only a roadside stand on the weekends, but enough to head to the area's farmers markets with a wide variety of produce. A couple years later, Fremont Local Foods started a Wednesday night market on Broadway Avenue in Riverton - something that evolved into a weekly summer event that continues today.
2014 - Food for Thought
As the farm began to produce more and growing fresh veggies became a full time job, we expanded to the Casper area. In 2014 we joined the Food for Thought farmers market at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in downtown Casper. Here we met a lot of great customers and sold alongside vendors offering things like local RAW milk, baked goods, more produce, meat, soaps and lotions, and handmade trinkets and treasures. Food for Thought not only offered Casper locals a place to source local foods, their program raised money for those less fortunate with a mission to provide food security to Natrona County. Across from us became a staple of our offerings - the Flathead Cherries.
2014 - The Flathead Cherries
Following our expansion to Casper, we began offering something a little sweeter than what we grow at the farm. Though we had purchased cherries for friends and family for years, we never offered them to the public. In 2014, we became a distributor of the finest cherries in the Northwest, the Flathead Cherries. Grown near Flathead Lake in Big Fork, Montana these cherries were raised with care to ensure the best quality for their customers. People came from all around for the famous Flathead Cherries and a new annual offering became part of Sage Valley's lineup. Today, the orchard has been sold but we still bring these delicious cherries to central Wyoming year after year through Big Sky Orchards. The quality they offer is unmatched!
2015 - The Casper Farmers Market
On a cool crisp Saturday morning when other youngsters my age were recovering from a night out with friends, I was off to the Casper Farmers Market. Situated between a milk stand to my right and a baker to my left, I was in a popular location to get my start at a new market. Our first year of offerings were simple. Sweet corn (and a few veggies). We sold a full truckload of corn by 10am. It was busy. I had never seen so many people at a farmers market. I couldn't wait to expand for the future. Over the next few years our sales grew as the market grew. From a small single vendor space and a handful of items to 60' of retail frontage showcasing veggies and various seasonal fruits at the market today, we have become a customer favorite at the Casper Farmers Market. You can find us there every summer starting the last weekend in July.
2015 - Sage Valley Became Official
Having been referred to as Carlson's or Carlson Farms at the markets for years, it was time for a professional name. With the expansion to Casper we needed a name that stands out and is memorable to customers. We had to build a name that was local to the area. What is all around us? Sagebrush. Where is our farm located? In the Valley. It didn't take long to put them together and we officially began business as Sage Valley Farms. It took a minute for customers to associate Carlsons with Sage Valley Farms, but our quality, produce selection, and service quickly earned us a reputation as the best in town. Though we operated for two seasons as Sage Valley, we hadn't really connected with customers digitally. Our Facebook and Instagram pages launched in 2017 to connect with the younger generation. Our website launched in 2020 with the Covid pandemic and the new "contactless" method of business.
2017 - Something Peachy
Ever been sold a bad peach by a roadside vendor? Well, I got one. And that was the inspiration to start offering peaches to my customers. I was sick of not being able to find quality fruit from either of the trucks that came to town. The peaches were either rock hard and never did ripen properly, or you ran the risk of them rotting before you even made it home with them. Enough was enough. We called several orchards and began the hunt for what would become a partnership to this day. Black Bear Orchards from Palisade, Colorado was thrilled to have a vendor selling their fruit in Wyoming. We began with a small load, just 96 boxes. I think we made 3 trips to Colorado that year. Under 300 boxes total. Today between Colorado and Utah fruit we move over 1500 cases of peaches - and we're just getting started. In addition to Black Bear's fruit we are hoping to offer ORGANIC Sweet Cheeks peaches again in 2026.
2018 - Jackalope Central
Following a successful expansion to Casper, we decided to move North to another small town with limited access to fresh produce. We took a chance on the Dubois Farmers Market. Zack's brother Tyler and his partner loaded up the truck with fresh produce for an hour and a half long drive hoping the town was hungry for something fresh. They were. A truckload of corn was sold every week along with various vegetables grown here on the farm and delicious fruit - the Flathead cherries and Palisade peaches. That fall was the first year we offered yet another new product - orchard fresh apples and pears from Fowers Fruit Ranch out of Genola, Utah. To this day we offer their delicious apples every fall.
2020 - Growing Your gardens
In 2020, we began offering plants for sale. Not only did Covid make food security uncertain because of the supply chain issues, customers were also looking for a way to save some cash and grow their own food at home. We began offering tomato, pepper, eggplant, squash, cucumber, and melon plants, all grown in our greenhouse. The following year we offered vegetable seed packets so that our customers could also grow other veggies we didn't offer as plants. In 2024 we offered a limited selection of basic vegetable seeds like carrots, beets, green beans, lettuce, and herbs, but also added offerings of seed potatoes and onion sets in every color and flavor. We believe our plants have better vigor than the big box stores and though we love seeing you at the farmers market, we also would love to see you grow great food right at home.
2022 - Valleybox was Born
After seeing the success and downfall of Bountiful Baskets in our area, we decided to give a go at a similar CSA style subscription. Our ValleyBox was geared towards having a variety of produce, with the majority of the vegetables being local. We wanted half fruit and half veggies, with the selection to change so that customers could experience all of the goodness the local growers have to offer. Over the years and some difficult growing conditions, we have had to source produce from other producers out of the area, but we always try to maintain the best quality. Our inaugural season was a success and we doubled our members with many returning the following year. Today many members continue to enjoy their CSA boxes every week not just for delicious produce, but for the convenience of getting fresh produce and not having to go shopping for it. We offer delivery as well as several pickup locations across Fremont County and Casper with more to come in the future.
2022 - BERRY GOOD THINGS
During the 2022 season, we added fresh berries to our lineup. An offering of delicious Oregon and Utah grown berries were available at our table across the farmers markets. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Though the source and selection has changed throughout the years, we continue to offer the highest quality berries year after year. Our blueberries come from Oregon, and the blackberries and raspberries are fresh picked every week from Paradise, Utah. The farmers put a lot of care into the quality of their fruit and after last season we decided Oregon berries (besides the blues) just won't cut it anymore. Freshness is more important than a good price. We offer trio packs aka our "berry flights" in the summer so you can try all three! In the future, we hope to add our own local strawberries to our market offerings.
2026 - The Future of sage valley
You can find us at the farmers markets in Riverton, Lander, Casper, and Dubois every week during the summer season. We offer a wide variety of fresh locally grown vegetables in most of our markets, as well as a selection of out of area produce in Casper and Dubois. You can find various vegetables at our stands - broccoli, cauliflower, beans, beets, carrots, onions, radishes, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, eggplant, squash, pumpkins, and more. We also carry a wide variety of fruit from Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Idaho - things like peaches, pears, apples, cherries, plums, apricots, pluots, berries, and more! We are hoping to have our own local strawberries in the near future! Can't wait to see you this summer!
HELP US GROW
JOIN OUR VALLEYBOX FRESH PRODUCE SUBSCRIPTION
You can help Sage Valley Farms by joining our ValleyBox CSA Subscription. This ensures us a healthy cashflow for equipment, seeds, supplies, and the capital to expand our operation so that we can offer new products as well as provide the highest quality for the fresh produce we currently offer.